This changing world !

In the days of the first Olympic games, countries that were at war declared a truce so that their finest warriors could bring glory by competing.   When the Olympics ended, the war resumed !

There was a break for many years before the modern Olympics, and since then the games have seen major changes.  We now have a split to accommodate sports in the summer Olympics and then the winter Olympics - and handicapped people compete in a special contest that takes account of the limitations imposed by their incapacity's.

Unfortunately, this world contest has now evolved into an opportunity for dissident groups to use it as a showcase to highlight publicity and pressure the host country to bring about the changes they desire.  It is a form of blackmail.   They make demands and if these are not immediately met, they carry out atrocities aimed at both contestants and spectators as a form of revenge.

This years winter Olympics are just a few weeks away and are scheduled to be held in the Russian city of Sochi.   Parts of Russia and surrounding republics are followers of Islam and there has been  pressure to hive off these areas and form an Islamic republic.   The leaders of this movement have embraced terror and revolt as their weapons and they are threatening to disrupt the Sochi games by using such methods.

This week, twenty-seven innocent civilians have been killed and scores more injured when two bombs were detonated - one in a train station and the other on a suburban trolley bus.   The leaders of this insurrection are threatening similar attacks on both contestants and spectators if their demands are not met.

As is usual in these circumstances, the leaders orchestrating acts of terrorism are fanatics who desire an extreme form of Islam to be forced on the areas they control.   If they gain control they will remove all forms of choice from their subjects and rule with an iron fist - with power flowing from the barrel of a gun.   It is likely that the vast majority of the civilian population are quite happy with the status quo and wish nothing more than to be able to follow their chosen religion in peace.

Religion is a powerful motive force and many have been convinced to sacrifice their lives as suicide bombers. Even the toughest protective regime can not guarantee protection against a person who conceals explosives on his or her body - and activates that detonation to wilfully kill others in close proximity in a public place.

Some people will withdraw from competition at these games and many spectators will have second thoughts about attending.   There is no prospect that the games will be cancelled.  As well as a contest between sports people, it will be a contest between the authorities and the terrorists.   When the games conclude, the scores will be examined - and the dead counted !

We seem to be moving towards an era where the contests of both the sporting and the religious worlds coincide - and the Olympics are now the chosen venue for both !